


Trusting and Kind

by pressdbtwnpages



Category: Hamilton - Miranda
Genre: Gen, Missing Scene, growing up Schuyler, schuyler sisters
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-12-18
Updated: 2015-12-18
Packaged: 2018-05-07 11:44:37
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,755
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5455355
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pressdbtwnpages/pseuds/pressdbtwnpages
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Eliza will do anything for Angelica's smiling approval. To Angelica's credit she doesn't much abuse this known trait of Eliza's.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Trusting and Kind

**Author's Note:**

  * For [psikeval](https://archiveofourown.org/users/psikeval/gifts).



> Happy Yuletide, **psikeval**! I hope you enjoy your story!
> 
> I've taken the liberty of doing some slight canon tweaking to meld the musical and the historical record.
> 
> Thanks to **chiasmus** for beta-ing and listening to me whine about this. You're the best.

"Girls" Eliza's mother walked into the room where she and Angelica were diligently practicing their letters on slates and Peggy was drawing pictures "your grandfather van Rensselaer is here! Come and say hello." 

Grandfather van Rensselaer didn't live very far away, but he was a very important man and didn't always have time for pleasantries so his visit was a surprise and a treat.

The girls quickly put away their lessons and tried to dust the chalk from their hands and skirts.

"Oh, nevermind that, girls. Your grandfather will be pleased to see you've been at your studies," their mother assured them.

They followed her duckling-like and in age order down to the formal sitting room which they were never allowed into unless Mama or Papa was with them.

"Here we all are." Mama opened the door and ushered the girls inside.

Grandfather van Rensselaer rose from the elegant chair he was seated in and bowed deeply before them. 

He kissed each of their hands, murmuring, "My lovely Angelica, my dear Eliza, my sweet Peggy," as he did. His whiskers scratched Eliza's hand.

When he was done, he kissed their mother's cheek. "Kitty, I apologize for dropping by this way, but a gift I arranged for the girls has just arrived and I couldn't wait for them to see it."

"I'm sorry Philip isn't here to meet you. But father, you really didn't need to--" Grandfather van Rensselaer shook his head at their mother.

"I know I didn't need to, Catherine, but it's a grandfather's prerogative to spoil his granddaughters from time to time." He turned his attention back to the girls. Eliza tried not to fidget. "What do you say, girls? Would you like to see what I've brought you?"

"Yes, please," they chorused. Eliza tacked on a "sir" for good measure.

Grandfather van Rensselaer smiled at them and turned to remove three bundles from a bag he'd left on the floor by his chair. 

He handed each girl one of the bundles and -- forgetting all propriety -- they scrabbled at the knots and wrapping to get at their gifts. 

Eliza gasped as she pulled a bit of rough brown cloth away and saw a beautiful porcelain face smiling at her. A doll!

"Thank you, grandfather!" Eliza exclaimed, carefully lifting the doll the rest of the way out of its binding.

By now her sisters had finished unwrapping their dolls as well. Eliza's had a pink dress and brown hair and Angelica's doll's dress was green and had blond hair. Peggy's doll wore yellow and had auburn hair.

"I knew you would like them." Grandfather van Rensselaer smiled. "Now go off and play while I visit with your mother."

The girls filed obediently out of the sitting room, thanking their grandfather profusely.

Peggy raced ahead, clutching her doll to her chest.

Eliza walked more slowly, trying to modulate a proper speed. Beside her, Angelica kept pace, glancing over every few steps. Or, more specifically, glancing at her doll.

Eliza knew that Angelica was envious of her doll's pink dress. It was Angelica's favorite color.

Angelica sighed.

Her sister would never ask to trade, but Eliza knew she wanted it.

They entered the playroom, where Peggy was already flopped on the floor, teaching her doll the alphabet from her sisters' discarded slates.

"Do you want to trade doll dresses, Lieke?" Eliza offered, already unbuttoning the tiny buttons of her doll's dress.

Angelica's eyes widened. "You would let me have the pink one?"

"Of course!" Eliza hugged her. "You're my sister!"

*

"Well, Miss Eliza, what shall we serve with the lamb?" Cook asked. "Peas or carrots?"

Eliza thought carefully. Mama had told her that learning how to feed a family was very important and she wanted to do a good job.

Carrots were Eliza's favorite. She liked how Cook roasted them until they were soft and sweet, but Father and Angelica loved peas, especially when they had chopped mint mixed in.

Part of being a gracious lady and hostess was making you guests happy, and that meant not picking your favorite all the time.

"Peas, please, Cook," Eliza requested. "And may we have them with mint, the way Father and Angelica like?"

"Certainly. Mint goes well with lamb," Cook agreed. "Go on out to the garden and pick me seven sprigs of mint."

"Yes, Cook."

Eliza knew she'd made the right choice when Angelica lit up at the sight of the dish later that day.

*

Having finished her latest embroidery project and not yet been assigned another, Eliza had taken the opportunity to go outside, her favorite place to be. She'd wanted to go to the lake nearby, but it was too close to dinnertime and no one would let her take her horse out. Instead she had climbed the tree outside the house's back door to get some peace and a good view of the river beyond the pasture. It was busy, today, with boats darting past each other and stopping at docks to unload goods.

"Eliza?" Angelica called from the doorway. "Eliza, are you out here?"

For half a moment, Eliza hesitated, reluctant to give up her peace. But she loved Angelica too much to lie to her. She would rather spend time with her sister than outside, anyway. "Up here, Angelica!"

Angelica stepped out of the doorway, frowning, her hand shielding her eyes from the midday sun. " _Up_? Up where, Eliza?"

Eliza waved through the trees. She wasn't sure Angelica could see her, but the leaves rustled enough at her motion to give away her location.

"Elizabeth Schuyler! You get down from there at once!" It was their mother's voice but coming from Angelica's mouth. And, anyway, Mama had been the one to show Eliza how to climb trees in the first place. She could hear the alarm in Angelica's voice and complied, for her sister's sake if not her own. 

"Coming!" Eliza carefully backed her way down the tree, finding long familiar footholds.

Once she was safely on the ground, Angelica ran to her and embraced her tightly. 

"Did you need me?" Eliza laughed, hugging her sister back.

"I was worried about you."

*

Eliza was practicing piano when Angelica burst in.

"May I borrow Carrot? I need to ride into town and Cicero is too slow!" 

"Maybe if you fed her fewer carrots, she could keep up with my Carrot," Eliza teased, playing a scale.

Angelica huffed impatiently. "Cicero likes treats. Can I take Carrot?"

"Of course you can ride Carrot. You don't even need to ask."

"You're the best!!" Angelica hugged her from behind and then swirled away, skirts rustling.

"Wait. Who are you meeting, Angelica?" Eliza called out.

"No one," Angelica called back. "Just some guy."

Just some guy. Right. Eliza knew her sister too well to believe that. Angelica was up to something. 

* 

"Eliza," Angelica's voice roused her from sleep. "Wake up, I need you."

"Mmmph?" Eliza sat up and shook her head. The faintest hint of dawn was lightening the sky and her sister was wearing her best dress. "What's going on?"

"John and I are getting married."

"Papa won't approve, Lieke," Eliza said reluctantly. She wanted her sister to be happy, but her intended was British and Papa and Mr. Hamilton suspected that he was a spy.

"I know, that's why we're eloping."

"Oh." Eliza hated the idea of her sister standing in a church with no witnesses or party to celebrate her nuptials, but she hated the idea of her sister being unhappy even more. "What can I do?"

Angelica leaned forward and hugged her tightly.

"Cover for me? We'll come back midday, after the ceremony, to tell Mama and Papa."

"Of course!"

"Thank you, Betsey," Angelica whispered, sneaking towards the door. "I love you."

"Angelica?" Eliza called.

"Yes?"

"Congratulations!"

Eliza couldn't fall back asleep after her sister left. Her thoughts vacillated between Angelica -- galloping her horse into town to meet Mr. Church and the reverend -- and Mr. Hamilton and the poetic letters that made her dream of the future. 

By the time the rest of the household had awoken, Eliza was dressed and had written letters to Mr. Hamilton and to Mr. Church. The one to Alex was a soppy mess of carefully coded feelings, the one to her by now brother-in-law a stern admonition not to hurt Angelica.

Eliza nibbled nervously at her breakfast. She couldn't stop thinking about Angelica and what might happen when she returned home. 

After breakfast Eliza stopped in the kitchen to see if there might be anything special for dinner. At the least, Angelica deserved a celebratory wedding meal. Assuming she was still welcome in the Schuyler home at dinnertime.

Eliza paced through her morning chores. Angelica was the smartest, strongest person Eliza knew. She had thought her elopement through and knew the consequences. Everything would be fine.

It was late morning by the time an elegant phaeton approached the Schuyler mansion, Angelica's horse trotting alongside.

From an upstairs window, Eliza watched Mr. Church disembark and assist Angelica from the carriage. She abandoned her flower arranging and hurried downstairs just in time to see the  
door to the sitting room swing closed behind Angelica and Mr. Church.

Eliza bit her lip nervously, she wanted to be in that room. She wanted to protect Angelica from whatever might happen next.

Perhaps if dinner interrupted Mama and Papa scolding Angelica, things might go more easily. Eliza hurried to the kitchen to check on the meal's status.

Cook, now stooped with age, had worked her typical magic to prepare a special wedding luncheon -- complete with minted peas -- and early at that. "I can serve it whenever you like, Miss Eliza."

Out in the hallway Eliza could hear raised voices. "I think now would be a fine time, Cook."

"Yes, Miss Eliza."

Trusting that Cook had everything under control, Eliza hurried into the hallway to invite her family into the dining room to eat.

Papa and Mr. Church were flushed and Mama was unusually pale, but everyone was smiling so Eliza smiled too. She rushed up to Angelica and hugged her tightly.

"Is everything okay now?" she whispered in her sister's ear.

Angelica hugged her back. "It is."

Releasing one another from the embrace, Eliza stepped back. Peggy and little Johnny had joined the group. Eliza addressed her family. "I've arranged for a small wedding luncheon in honor of the Churches to be served in the dining room."

"Oh, Eliza," Angelica beamed. "Thank you."

It took so little for Eliza to make Angelica smile.


End file.
